Wholistically PsychEd

Wholistically PsychEd ✨Advocate w/o the Overwhelm
📚 IEPs, 504s & Special Education
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08/17/2026

And it's telling you something the school may not be saying out loud 👇

Every removal. Every phone call. Every early pickup.

That is a paper trail.

That is documentation that the current environment is not meeting your child's needs.

That is evidence that FAPE — Free Appropriate Public Education — is not being provided.

IDEA's definition of FAPE means the education being provided must be appropriate for that child's individual needs. A child being sent home repeatedly is a school communicating — without realizing it — that they don't have the supports in place to educate that child.

Here's what to do starting now:
📋 Log every removal. Date. Time. Reason given.
📋 Note whether it was a formal suspension or an informal "can you come get them?"
📋 Ask for these incidents in writing.

Informal removals (called "soft" removals or "push outs") still count as removals under the law — especially if they are happening repeatedly to a student with a disability.

You are not overreacting.
You are building a record.

Comment "GAP" and I'll send you the free resource that helps you decode red flags so you can spot when a child needs support before it's too late.

You don't need permission to advocate.
You need clarity on the rights you already have.
Comment "SYSTEM" for The Special Education Support System ⬇️

08/16/2026

Red flag 🚩 when decisions happen verbally.

Prior Written Notice (PWN) must include:
what the school refused
why
what data they used
what options they rejected
and what evaluations informed the decision.

Most families don’t realize this document creates a legal record. & schools dont want legal records of illegal practice👀

💬 Parent Response
“Can you provide Prior Written Notice including the data used and the options considered?”

Inside my system you learn
when to request it
how to phrase it
and how it shifts the tone of meetings.

Documentation creates accountability without confrontation.

Districts rely on confusion.
I teach clarity.
Comment “SYSTEM” to get clarity⬇️

08/16/2026

Because that used to be me too👇
A school psychologist *inside* the system.....watching the same corners being cut, the same rights being violated—because no one thought parents or teachers would ever know the difference (& banked on them NOT knowing).

I started sharing SPED laws & processes the way they intended to be used not to be rebellious, but because injustice hides best in silence.

IDEA requires that IEPs are individualized—yet we see:
— The same goals used year after year
— Delays in evaluations
— Service minutes "adjusted" without parent consent
— Behavior plans with no actual behavior data (or progress)

And too many teams saying: “That’s just how we do it.”

But “how we do it” ≠ what’s legal.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is federal law. It protects your child’s access to a Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) through:
✅ Data-driven goals
✅ Proper timelines for evaluations
✅ Parent participation (IDEA § 300.322)
✅ Measurable progress monitoring
✅ Services based on need, not budget

So yes—when I get those DMs that say,
“I finally knew what to say at my IEP meeting because of your posts,”…it reminds me why I keep going.

You deserve to know your rights.
Educators deserve protection.
And schools deserve to be held accountable.

Let's keep giving school districts a run for their money
🙌💪🏃‍♀️🏃‍♂️💨💸

If you're needing more support I'm here for you🩵

Comment “SYSTEM” for The Special Education Support System ⬇️

& make sure to follow Mariah Choate | School Psychologist & Advocacy Educator for all things behind the scenes of public education, sped law & processes parents AND staff don't know but should, & how to continually be change makers for the most vulnerable. 🙌

08/15/2026

Parents, you NEED to hear these 3 things!👇

But first, you need to hear that if you're advocating for your child and their learning needs - I'm proud of you & you should be proud too! This is no small thing & your child will appreciate this one day (if they don't already). 🫶

Alright, now I would tell parents these 3 things when I was a practicing school psych & now I'm telling YOU!

1) Your child might OR might not have a disability.

2) Even if they DO have a disability or diagnosis, by them not qualifying, this indicates that their disability or diagnosis is NOT impacting their ability to access the general education curriculum in the general education setting. (Read that again)

3) The supports that they require CAN be implemented in their general education class & do not require Special Education services to do so! (THAT'S A BIG WIN!)

Don't lose heart if your child does not qualify for an IEP - it is NOT the save all and in fact if they don't qualify and you push for services they might not need, this can even be harmful to them in the long run!!

What I mean is...
●Pushing for special education services when a child DOESN'T actually qualify (after a full assessment with data to prove it) might create a stigma around their abilities, leading to lowered self-esteem when they actually have the skills, they just need minimal support.

●This can also divert resources away from students who truly need them, potentially hindering their academic progress.

●Additionally, it might prevent the child from developing the necessary skills to overcome challenges independently - which is the whole goal of growth and learning, to scaffold until the child doesn't require that support anymore.

Questions about eligibility or the process of an initial IEP?

You're not alone - you've been left in the dark and that's unfair....

Comment “SYSTEM" to get actual support 🩷🩷🩷

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